When Palworld hit the gaming scene earlier this year, it took players by storm, swiftly gaining the nickname “Pokémon with g*ns”–a nod to its close resemblance to the franchise.
The internet waasn’t the only one who saw the similarities. Last month, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a lawsuit against the developers of Palworld, Pocketpair, alleging the game “infringes multiple patents.”
Despite the legal troubles, the game is now more popular than ever.
Here’s everything you need to know about the open-world action game—and how you can get started (lest it become too late)
Palworld
In Palworld, you find yourself on an island filled with cute and cuddly animals. As you might suspect, these creatures strongly resemble the Pokémon you know and love (hence the lawsuit.)
The game is addictive, to say the least. Like Minecraft, it’s an open-world format, meaning you can travel around the game seemingly limitlessly. While you can quickly travel to certain areas, you can also simply walk there. That’s the beauty of an open-world game–it’s very immersive for players.
In Palworld, creatures aren’t just battle companions—they’re essential allies in your day-to-day survival. Beyond fierce fights, players can assign their “pals” to handle everything from cooking and farming to gathering lumber and crafting weapons at their home base.
These hardworking creatures bring a unique layer to gameplay, blending RPG adventure with an immersive resource-management element that lets players build, expand, and sustain their world with the help of their loyal, multitasking pals.
Palworld challenges players to collect and train an ever-growing roster of creatures, upgrading their strength to new heights to survive. Rapid upgrades are essential, as players must fortify their Pals to fend off wild rivals—dangerous creatures that threaten not only the player’s safety but also the survival of their own beloved team members.
Collecting Pals
If the striking resemblance of Palworld’s Pals to other familiar creatures doesn’t catch your eye, the unique—and eyebrow-raising—method of capturing these cuddly allies certainly will.
Brace yourself for an intense first encounter—catching these wild Pals isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. You’ll start by fighting the creatures head-on, a move that feels wrong at first. But rest assured, it’s for your own survival, especially since some Pals won’t hesitate to strike the moment you cross their path.
The key to capturing a Pal is to wear it down first. You can either launch your own attacks with different weapons or let your team of Pals take on the challenge.
Be cautious, though—defeat can be fatal for these creatures, so watch their health if you’re trying to capture them.
Once they’re sufficiently weakened, just toss a Pokéball…er…Pal Sphere to seal the deal.
Yes.
You’ll be throwing a ball that strongly resembles a Pokéball but is definitely not a Pokéball. It’s a Pal Sphere. Very different. Pal Sphere’s aren’t red and white.
If you’ve weakened the Pal enough, you’ll have the pleasure of having it on your roster once it accepts being in the Sphere.
If it doesn’t, you’ll have to weaken it more. If things get out of hand, well, you’ll try again with a different Pal of the same species.
Time Is Of The Essence
Offering a mix of adventure, a lively world, and enough challenges to keep players engaged without overwhelming them, Palworld is built for hours of fun. Players can adjust the difficulty as they wish.
If you want to try this game, time is of the essence. Nintendo and Pokémon’s legal challenge could mean its removal from stores—so if it’s on your list, it’s worth considering sooner rather than later.
Game on.
This article is for informational purposes only. Trendy Matters has no affiliation with any of the brands or individuals mentioned, and the views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
